


Darksbane

by mabus101



Category: Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan
Genre: After the Breaking, False Dragon, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:02:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26462371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mabus101/pseuds/mabus101
Summary: Only three centuries after the Breaking of the World, a savior arose to fight the Shadow.  At least, so he claimed....
Kudos: 4





	Darksbane

She came down out of the foothills, staggering, and Teine had no trouble seeing why. The woman had wrapped herself in little more than gigantic leaves and walked barefoot through the snows in midwinter. Now her feet were so black with frostbite that it was a wonder she could walk at all.

But she was alive. She could be healed. At worst she might lose her feet, if they were too far gone. That would be a hardship, true, but the town would find something for her to do. Teine stirred himself and hustled up the slope. She gave a start on seeing him, stumbled, and went sliding down on her rump in the crumbling scree. Teine caught her before she'd gone too far.

Light, where had she gotten those leaves? Nothing like them grew on the mountain. Nothing like...giant ferns, perhaps...grew anywhere near the city, not for leagues at least. Teine hefted her over his shoulders. "Sorry, lass. You've walked far enough and more." Her only response was a strained laugh.

Down the slope, past his smithy and toward the inn, where Nogred's bouncers gave him a hard look before realizing the poor woman was being aided, not abducted. They swung open the doors and cleared a path through the raucous crowd. The world was still full of refugees and tribefolk; ultimately, it didn't much matter where she was from, only whether she behaved herself. In her condition, she wasn't going to be poisoning wells any time soon. Teine settled her onto the first unoccupied bed he found. "Nogred, can you do anything for her?"

The Wise Woman grimaced. "Aye, maybe. Bedamned if she dies in my inn. But I'll have to send to the city for help if she's going to recover from this. By the Light, Teine, where'd you find her? What the blazes has she got on? I've heard of eyes like this in Manetheren, near the mines, but never skin this shade."

Teine shrugged his shoulders and tugged his beard. "She came down from the mountain. Don't ask me how she got up there."

Nogred hissed and signed the Dragon's Fang in the air. "From the mountain? You're certain? From Dragonmount?"

"Light, woman. I can't be sure. She was coming down the foothills--"

Nogred pointed to the bloody stain spreading across the sheets. "Don't you see it, Teine? She's given birth. Up there."

Teine blinked. "A baby? It's frozen by now, for sure, and starved as well."

"Well then," Nogred sighed, "we're damned _twice_."

*****

Far up the slopes of Dragonmount, a dome of Fire and Air shone brightly, slowly weakening but still providing a bubble of warmth. It had no effect on hunger. Lost, bewildered, and ravenous, the infant boy screamed for his mother. His cries echoed from the walls of the mountain, as did the wails of the twin sister at his side.

Someone had heard.

Someone was coming.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm practically writing the Silmarillion here. I know.


End file.
